Well, I've spent a week away from sharp objects, reading as much about John Roberts' decision as I could, and listening to as many opinions as I could stand. Here's mine.
We are less free, less prosperous, and probably more equal. Liberals like that trade-off; conservatives not so much.
Reagan was right: "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." Freedom is also not secure in the Constitution if the federal government can punish inaction and force employers to purchase insurance for their employees with provisions which they find morally offensive. It really doesn't matter whether it is the Commerce Clause or taxing power. The Supreme Court has said that it is OK, and it is up to the people to protect themselves. Message received.
The first line of attack for repeal is the one that appeals to libertarians. My sadness is not so much with Justice Roberts as it is with the American people who, it would seem, are well down the road to accepting government power over the details of their lives in exchange for a promise that everybody will be taken care of, regardless of personal responsibility. Even in the Bay Area - a haven for liberals, but also the center of anti-government convulsions of the 60s - there is not a word about the loss of freedom. This decision will eliminate any question of whether the 2010 election was a "one-time wave" by galvanizing the Tea Party and the lingering Ron Paul supporters, but that won't win Ohio.
The central line of attack must merge ObamaCare and the ongoing economic malaise - and it is easy to do. Despite the wasteful trillion dollar stimulus and unprecedented Federal Reserve activism, we remain with high unemployment three years after the "Bush Recession" officially ended. The difference from past recoveries? Obamacare's crushing trillion cost and uncertainty for business. The economic issue isn't the relatively modest "individual mandate tax" or even the trillion dollars of other taxes on the public; the larger problem is the smothering regulations and costs imposed on employers. Who would think that we could insure 30 million people without addressing the major cost drivers in our healthcare system and place the burden on employers without substantial economic damage?
But repeal alone won't win Ohio. Fortunately Governor Romney has a good start on the "Replace" content, even if the presentation needs improvement. From his website and many speeches:
1. Restore state leadership and flexibility: "block grant" Medicaid; limit "one size fits all" federal standards for insurance coverage requirements; foster exchanges and high risk pools.
2. Promote free markets: cap medical malpractice suits; promote purchasing pools for individuals and small businesses; protect people with pre-existing conditions who have had continuous coverage; facilitate IT.
3. Empower consumer choice: allow purchase across state lines; allow consumers to purchase insurance with pre-tax dollars (move away from the employer - dominated model); explore alternatives to the "fee for service" model; expand "Consumer Reports"-type ratings to inform consumers.
Romney will not get much media help in explaining that he has a plan, but he will have a billion dollars to speak directly to the voters and he starts with a strong majority of voters still favoring repeal. He will need some tweaks - if people want insurance plans that keep their kids on until age 26, insurance companies can amortize that - but he knows this territory. The only challenge is to be sure that the voters understand that this isn't separate from the message on the economy. It is at the heart of the economic problem.
Despite Obama's outlandish claims, the people can be trusted to understand.
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For those looking for something simpler and more important than Chief Justice Roberts' finding, here is a simple discussion of the Higgs boson, whose recent discovery at CERN is sure to lead to a few Nobel prizes in theoretical physics, as well as a complete explanation of the universe.
bill bowen - 7/5/12
Resurging Housing market?------- Now here's a statistic you can understand: Forclosures up 12%. California leads the nation in new foreclosures. Foreclosures outnumber new sales 3 to 1. Until the nation gets the housing industry squared away unemployment and GDP will struggle.
Tax Increases?--Obama desperate to change the subject once again decides to call another press conference and give a speech on the Bush era tax cuts calling for their extension except for the people making $250k or more. He then claims it was Clinton's TAX INCREASES that produced a surplus. No mention of the budget cuts including welfare payments. If tax increases would save the economy we'd be at 4% unemployment and 5% GDP by now. If he were serious he'd call in the Republicans and negotiate rather than line up a bunch of pawns and put on a show. In the end he can't even change his proposal. Same old deal. Meanwhile the CBO announces that the government overpaid $14B in welfare this year.
Syria--more people slaughtered. Not a sound byte from the President or Hillary.
Posted by: Bill McCormick | July 09, 2012 at 06:17 PM
MORE 'UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES'; As businesses escape the abuses of places like California , Detroit and NY State, they also create large dislocations of populations that require WATER. At this moment in TEXAS, water is being taken from RICE FARMERS for this purpose. As Washington is famous for saying; "we don't know what we don't know".
Posted by: DickG | July 09, 2012 at 12:24 PM
ALL THE MORE REASON; to give voices to the message. Pre-selection of the Cabinet NOW can overcome. I beleive a bit of 'Deer in the Headlights' syndrome has overtaken the Campaign leadership.
Latest Internet suggestions: Defense-Petraeus, Energy-Palin, State-Bolton, Fed-Paul, Homeland Security-Arpaio, Interior-Jindl, Justice-Pam Bondi, VP-Col. West or Jeb Bush. A solid start.
Posted by: DickG | July 07, 2012 at 08:28 AM
DID YOU KNOW?
For all of you shoppers who wonder what will the drought do to food costs here is a piece of information you can discuss with your Congressman. Under the Obama energy program the first 5 Billion bushels of corn produced by farmers goes to ethanol production. Now corn is used in more than 250 different food products and used to feed most animals. In the three years of this administration corn went from around $3/bu to $9/bu mostly based on ethanol requirements and contributed dramatically to the increase in food costs. Now faced with a near record drought after a record corn planting season where do you think the price of corn and food will go? Gasoline may be dropping but food is headed the other way. Brilliant use of our resources. That is really protecting our poor people trying to feed their families. EPA just a few months ago increased the Ethanol requirement from 10% to 15% of Gasoline. Don't you just love your government at work?
In the next 20 years the number of cars on the road world wide will increase from 1 Billion to 2 Billion. The majortiy of those will be in 3rd world countries. Do you think they'll use their corn to fuel their cars?
Posted by: Bill McCormick | July 06, 2012 at 06:36 AM
SIMPLICITY:
Everything Obama does and says is designed to get Romney (and the media) off message: "It's the economy,stupid." Forget healthcare for now. Forget defense of the years at Bain. Focus like a laser on the economy. There are less and less hires every month. June numbers 80,000. May numbers 76,000. These dismal numbers will not suffice. Consumer and manager confidence are dropping. Banks are under intense scrutiny and will not lend. The rumor that housing is coming back is a ruse. Housing is still in a slow freefall. People are moving to apartments. Foreclosures are still massive.
Yesterday in Ohio Obama told the masses that jobs are growing. That retrained workers are finding jobs in his renewable energy companies. That is pure BS. And that is all the "I" man has. All he can do is fabricate success, distract voters from the real issues and run from his record.
Romney needs to ignore the distractions, Ignore the attack on his time at Bain. Focus on the dismal economic record of Obama. Using the massive $5T in debt that we have amassed in his 3.5 years and with the help of Bernanke printing Trillions of dollars to keep interest rates low Obama has bought some time before the roof caves in. He has been given time to prove he can solve problems and he has delivered massive cost and tax increases to American businesses now forced to make their profits overseas. Small businesses show the rat like cunning they always do and survive despite hurricane like head winds in regulations, healthcare increases, tax hikes and penalties.
It's the economy, Stupid. And, in the end despite all the distractions and the smaoke and mirrors the polls are beginning to tell the story: Obama can run from his record but he can't hide from the results of his lack of leadership and policies.
Bill, Before the video I had a pretty good idea about "God's particle". After watching it I have no clue what it is. I thought it was a weather report!
Posted by: Bill McCormick | July 06, 2012 at 06:17 AM
'SOMETHING FROM NOTHING'(the suggested end game of Higgs boson)has been the Administrations' premise from the 'get go'.They've even been supported by all three branches of government and the Nobel Prize commission.
Now how is that for a single phrase one can take to the bank ? No doubt Mitt has wound himself into a 56 point 'labyrinth'. Romney 3.0 (deux),however, might be a good place to begin his next 30 minute speech.
Posted by: DickG | July 05, 2012 at 06:04 PM
That's way too many words for most of us. Can Romney reduce what he would do to a couple of strong "sound bites"? This country lives on sound bites and I don't know anybody who will react to the words above because they are way too hard to understand and the sentences too long. I am from Ohio and we are not sophisticated folks. Think phrases not sentences, Romney. We all know you're smart - now be smart and keep it simple. Find a writer who can do that for you. And throw the bum out! Along with all of his buddies in the Congress and Senate!
Posted by: flyoverstate | July 05, 2012 at 05:27 PM